British holidaymakers using red passports issued urgent summer travel warning

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If you have a red passport you need to check when it expires (Image: MyLoupe/UIG Via Getty Images)
If you have a red passport you need to check when it expires (Image: MyLoupe/UIG Via Getty Images)

UK holidaymakers who are still using the old red passport have been issued a travel warning if they want to go abroad this summer.

If you're planning a sunny getaway this year, make sure to check your passport before you jet off due to strict entry rules in other countries. Many countries require your passport to be valid for another six months before you leave for international travel, which is known as the "six-month validity rule".

According to VisaGuide.World, 70 countries have a six-month passport rule, while another 41 apply the three-month passport validity rule. This means travellers can enter these countries if their passport is valid for at least three more months.

If you still have a red passport, which is no longer being issued after Brexit, it is crucial to check its expiry date, reports Stoke-on-Trent Live. Since Brexit, your passport must be less than 10 years old on the day of arrival in the EU and have at least three months left on the day you plan to leave. To make it easier, we've listed every country with passport validity rules.

Countries with a six-month passport rule

Afghanistan, Algeria, Anguilla, Bahrain, Bhutan, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Curacao, Cote D'Ivoire, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Fiji, Gabon, Guinea Bissau, Guyana., Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Madagascar, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Myanmar, Namibia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Qatar, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, Somaliland, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zimbabwe

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Countries with a three-month passport rule

Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Honduras, Iceland, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein., Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Nauru, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Senegal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Countries with other validity rules

Bermuda (45 days upon entry), Eritrea (three months on arrival), Hong Kong (three months on arrival), Lebanon (three months on arrival), Macau (three months on arrival), Micronesia (four months on arrival), South Africa (three months on arrival), The Maldives (three months on arrival), and Zambia (four months on arrival).

You must renew your passport before you can travel if either it has expired or you do not have enough time left on it. If your passport is burgundy or has "European Union" on the cover, you can still use it as long as it's valid for travel, explains the Government website.

To renew your passport, you will need your old passport as well as any valid passports you have from a different country. You will also need a digital photo, a credit or debit card, and your current password. You can either apply online, paying £82.50, or get a paper application form from the Post Office or from the Passport Adviceline which costs £93.

Chiara Fiorillo

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